Posts Tagged 'Beautiful Wedding Photos'

Finally, we have come to and completed our last wedding of the summer/fall season, which was just as the outskirts of Sandy was about to roll in. So we still had some nice weather and some beautiful leaves. Plus, as an added bonus, everything was a one-stop shop at the Sheraton in Columbia, MD. That and the mother of the bride booked a room for us to stay there that night as well, which was totally awesome!

Since everyone was getting ready on the club level, we had to have some come and bring us up. That makes us part of the special crowd of course. I must say that the hair and make-up artists did an amazing job. I ended up taking way too many pictures of both. I neglected to get the hair stylists info (hopefully someone reading this can provide it), but the make-up artists where the ladies of Got Blush. It was a tight space, but we all managed, and they did great work.

Kat and Mike did do one thing similar to her sister’s wedding a couple of years ago, which is to knock out all of the group photos before the ceremony. I still got a few afterwards as well, but the bulk of everything was done before hand, allowing them and everyone else to go straight to their cocktail and enjoy that time with their guests. This is always a much more relaxed and effective way to accomplishing the group photos, which is why I always encourage it. I’m sure Kat, and her sister Jessica, can both speak about their thoughts on having done the group photos before the ceremony instead of afterwards. I’ve never heard a regret yet.

I’m going to assume that Mike and Kat have a serious sweet tooth problem. I’ve been seeing more and more candy tables lately, but this was the first time I saw two really elaborate candy tables. Anyone there can vouch for the massive lines trying to get to the candy tables, as well as the large bags leaving them. I enjoyed a few M&M’s of course. I really did enjoy the decorating though, especially the hanging candles. It was really cool.

I know everyone has their own opinions on DJ’s, but this guy was great to work with. I’ve worked with a lot of DJ’s obviously, and I would strongly add DJ Rupe to my list of referrals. He helped me with anything I needed, wouldn’t do anything without making sure I was ready as well, and best of all he kept the crowd on the dance floor majority of the night. There is an art to what a DJ does, and he does it well.

I know that I have some really amazing photos to present to Kat and Mike, and I look forward to doing so soon. And if anyone hasn’t visit the Photo Booth photos from that night, they should do so before the site expires. It’s always worth a laugh. I love being able to do what I do for couples. By the way, if anyone from the wedding came across a silver Olympia MP3 recorder, please let me know because it came up missing and it has Kat and Mike’s vows recorded on it.

I love fall weddings. I love the beautiful weather and the colorful leaves that encompass fall. So, of course I also love fall colors. Better weather and beautiful colors. And that’s what Jennifer and Chris Hall had recently, is their fall wedding.

In traditional fashion, I met with the bride and her ladies as they were all getting ready. Most guys prefer to stay away from a group of ladies getting their hair and make-up done. I find it entertaining. The expressions are the most genuine and you never know what kind of conversation you’re going to accidentally walk into. This group was full of good times and little stress.

From there I headed over to the Dent Chapel in Charlotte Hall, MD for the wedding. I love that old church, even if it’s really small and dark on the inside. The history and scenery around it is amazing. Everything went perfectly all the up to the kiss. Then suddenly a new first happened to me again. The minister spoke across the room to me to make sure I got a good shot of their kiss. Of course I did! I just thought it was funny and awkward at the same time. Finally, someone that recognizes that the photographer is the one in control. Lol.

From there we then headed over to the IC Hall for their reception. The great thing about the IC Hall is that I’ve shot there tons of times, and the couples get it for the weekend when they rent it. Other than the DJ having a minor stumble with names in the beginning, everything else worked out flawlessly (great job Amanda!). They had great food, tons of fun, and now I’ve got tons of great pictures. They will have fun remembering their wedding for years to come. Best wishes Jennifer and Chris!

I always love the opportunity to return to one of my favorite venues. Becky and Daniel chose to have their special wedding at Harrington Harbor, also called Herrington on the Bay. So whatever you want to call it I guess, it’s an absolutely beautiful venue, and it is one of my favorite Southern Maryland wedding venues. But our day didn’t start there; instead it began at Creations Salon in Dunkirk, MD.

I showed up to the salon ahead of Becky, but two of her bridesmaids were already there and in the works, so I started with them while waiting for Becky to arrive. I want to say that the staff is not only amazingly skilled, but is an extreme pleasure to work with and are very accommodating. We were constantly dodging each other and apologizing the entire time. The only real challenge was their mirrors. I would be setting up one shot while trying to stay out of the mirror, and then suddenly notice a reversed reflection of myself on the opposite side of the mirror. After a shock, and a good laugh, I then had to take a new tactic to get my mirror shots without looking like I had an evil twin coming from the other side of the mirror.

After the salon we headed off to Becky’s mom’s house, which sits back in an absolutely beautiful countryside surrounded by horses. Becky and her mom are very welcoming. I greatly appreciated their offering me some of the over abundance of their food, especially since I knew it was going to be many hours before my next chance to eat. But we captured some fun moments and some detail shots before I then headed over to the venue where I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for the guys to arrive so I could get their pictures knocked out before the bride also arrived. There are always hick-ups in the best of plans, but we got a few shots right before Becky and her ladies arrived.

By the way, I love the tiny rooms they have for the bride and bridesmaids to use. They’re so small that claustrophobic mice would never make their home there. But it really is a cute little room. I just throw on my trusty 14-24 lens and I’m good to go. And of course while we’re in there, the rain started coming. That has been a trend I’ve seen a lot this season. I’ve had many weddings this year that almost were rained out, but then at the last possible moment the rain stopped, or held off, long enough for the couple to have their outdoor ceremony. Unfortunately it didn’t hold off long enough for the group photos. I had to borrow a tall guy and an umbrella to keep my lights dry while me and my camera got soaked. Thank goodness for quality weather-tight housing in professional cameras.

Did I mention how much I love this venue? They are so full of beautiful options. I had fun stealing away the bride and groom on a few occasions for some amazing photos. All I had to do was get a good test shot, showing them the concept, and we were off at next chance. They didn’t mind getting a little wet as long as it meant good pictures.

Oh yeah, I also had a few small world moments on this wedding. The minister and the DJ both I had worked with in recent weddings, but not the same. Each was from a different wedding. And while at the salon, another customer asked the name of my business. I recognized her, but couldn’t remember who she was. She was the mother of a groom from a wedding I covered a few years ago. Once we made the connection, she started bragging like crazy to both the bride and her mom about how I did her son’s wedding and how much she loved my work. I guess if I’m going to have that kind of a small world moment, you couldn’t ask for a better scenario.

So back to Becky and Daniel. They had a beautiful day and I can’t wait to finish up with their photos so I can present them to them. Plus I was excited to hear that Becky has already finished reading her side of the marriage book that Amanda and I gave them as a wedding gift, which is titled The Most Important Year. It’s a great book that all couples should have and read. They are onto a great start to a lifelong successful marriage, and I really hope to continue working with them in the future as they grow their own family.